Giant Sequoia National Monument
The Giant Sequoia National Monument is an exceptionally popular national treasure, containing approximately two-thirds of all of the giant sequoia trees in the world. Most of the world’s remaining giant sequoias are located in the adjacent Sequoia National Park. The Monument was established by Presidential proclamation on April 15, 2000. The Proclamation designated over 300,000 acres of the Sequoia National Forest as a national monument to be managed “to protect and enhance its natural values.” In addition to protecting the magnificent giant sequoia groves, the Proclamation also cited the importance of protecting other ecosystem values, including habitat for the rare and imperiled Pacific Fisher.
The Pacific Fisher relies on the Giant Sequoia National Monument to provide important habitat. However, the Fisher's declining population could eventually be forced to extinction under the current Monument management plan due to logging in their habitat. Disturbances allowed under the Proclamation can cause severe habitat reduction and increased predation
The Forest Service’s Record of Decision (ROD) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Giant Sequoia Monument of January 16, 2004, would dictate the future management of the Monument. Contrary to the Monument’s established purpose, the adopted plan allows more logging than any other alternative considered and contains standards that are inadequate to protect old growth forests and species like the Pacific fisher. The Campaign submitted detailed comments on the draft environmental impact statement and filed an administrative appeal of the flawed decision, together with supporting statements from leading scientists. Despite numerous comments and appeals of this plan, on January 11, 2005, the Deputy Regional Forester of the Forest Services Pacific Southwest Region denied all administrative appeals.
In stark contrast to the successful management techniques used for four decades by the National Park Service in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park, the Forest Service's "Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan" and associated final environmental impact statement ("FEIS") would permit extensive logging and cause the degradation of old forest habitat and irreparable harm to the Sequoia Monument's wildlife, directly conflicting with the purposes of the Monument. The actions of the Forest Service also threaten to exacerbate rather than lessen the risk posed by wildland fire to the Monument and nearby communities. Past management actions by Forest Service has included clear cutting around Giant Sequoia groves. In contrast, the National Park Service has been using prescribed fire for decades in the Sequoia National Park to protect communities, reduce fuels, sustain biological diversity and stimulate the growth of young giant sequoia trees.
Dr. Thomas Bonnicksen is a forest science professor supported by the California Forest Products Commission who recently wrote an article criticizing the management practices employed by the National Park Service in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park. The Park Service did not appreciate his criticism that came 30 years after Dr. Bonnicksen worked in the area. Read Dr. Bonnicksen's article and the response from the Park Service. (48KB PDF)
Sierra Forest Legacy along with the Sierra Club, Tule River Conservancy, Earth Island Institute, Sequoia Forestkeeper, and the Center for Biological Diversity filed suit on Thursday, January 27, 2005, to prevent implementation of the Giant Sequoia National Monument Plan.
The Forest Service’s pro-logging plan is contrary to the Proclamation, and would arbitrarily allow trees up to 30 inches in diameter to be removed from the forest in the name of fire hazard reduction, a diameter limit that is not supported by the best available science. Instead of logging large trees to supposedly prevent fire, which is a natural part of the Monument ecosystem, the Forest Service should remove the brush, lower branches, and small diameter trees which are the most flammable materials in the forest. Removing these most flammable materials would protect the large trees that are the essential elements of the old forest ecosystem that must be protected.
The purpose in establishing the Giant Sequoia National Monument is to bring permanent protection and recognition to all of the federally owned giant sequoia groves within the Sequoia National Forest. If the current Forest Service plan is not reversed, this protection will be meaningless and would likely lead to a movement to change management of the Monument from the Forest Service to the National Park Service. The National Park Service would be the most likely to successfully safeguard the Monument from further degradation.